1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for indicating that a mailbox has been opened to receive mail, ornamental designs for such apparatus, attachable design elements, integral masts and design elements, spring biasing elements, stop elements, mounting brackets and the like, and more particularly concerns an apparatus and method employing an indicator which is spring biased to a raised substantially vertical position signaling the owner of a mailbox that mail has been delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, ornamental designs for such indicators, and the like.
Conventional mailboxes include a movable outgoing mail signal flag, typically red in color, mounted on the right or left side of the mailbox and raised to indicate the presence of mail in the mailbox to be picked up by a U.S. Post Office mailperson or mail carrier. Often, but not always, the person picking up the mail from the mailbox will lower the flag when the mail has been picked up. This indicates to the owner of the mailbox that the mail has been picked up but does not provide an indication of whether or not any mail has been delivered.
It is not uncommon in a rural setting for the mailbox to be located some distance away from the house or even on the opposite side of a road or highway from the house. It may be inconvenient such as in bad weather or if a great distance is involved, or even unsafe or dangerous for the mailbox owner to check for delivered mail when, in fact, no mail has been delivered to the mailbox. Thus, there has been a need for a signal or indicating device which alerts the mailbox owner not only to the fact that outgoing mail has been picked up by the U.S. Postal worker but also indicates whether or not incoming mail has been delivered into the mailbox.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,171,086, 4,953,783, and 5,427,311 disclose mailbox signal devices which operate under the force of gravity to either raise or lower the signal device and indicate that mail has been delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,433,940, 3,596,631, 4,711,391, 5,123,590, and 5,366,148 are directed to mailbox signal devices which are mounted to the side or upper surface of the mailbox and spring biased by a coil tension spring to an upper position to indicate that the mailbox has been opened and mail has been delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,491,268, 4,840,307, and 5,082,170 disclose mailbox signal devices mounted to the upper surface or side surface of a mailbox and which are biased to an upward signaling condition by a torsion spring.
Other mailbox signal devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,794,240, 3,968,928, 4,896,624, 4,986,467, and 5,094,386.
The above-described signal devices suffer from the drawbacks of being overly complicated, having numerous moving parts which are susceptible to failure, require the conventional mailbox to be substantially modified, are not aesthetically pleasing, are not personalized, may not contain a sufficiently sized signal element to provide a clear indication of mail having been delivered at a large distance from the mailbox, or may be unsafe.
Hence, there is a need for an improved mail delivered indicator apparatus and method which is relatively inexpensive, easily attached to a conventional mailbox, aesthetically pleasing, capable of being personalized, which is adapted for use with a mailbox having a conventional outgoing mail signal flag mounted on either the right or left hand side of the mailbox, and which is easily placed to accommodate a name or address plate mounted on the upper surface of the mailbox.